Boomtown | Architecture + Planning

BOOMTOWNS A RC H I T E C T U R E

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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 BOOMTOWN CLASSIFICATION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . x FACTORS IN A BOOM. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X COMMUNITY EFFECTS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X THE BUST. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X CASE STUDIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X UNDERSTANDING THE BOOMTOWN

CONCLUSION CITATION

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“

BOOMTOWN :

A TOWN THAT EXPERIENCES A SUDDEN GROWTH IN BUSINESS AND POPULATION : A BOOMING TOWN -MERRIAM WEBSTER DICTIONARY

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INTRODUCTION A boomtown is described as a society that experiences rapid increase in population due to economic successes of the area. These areas are often centered on the production of a single resource or proximity to other metropolitan areas that experience growth. Traditionally when one thinks of a boomtown, communities associated with the old shanty towns of the west and California gold rush come to mind. There are many modern communities around the world, however, that have experienced rapid growth within the last century and continue to experience boom and ‘re-boom’. This increase in population, density and economy lead to unique architectural and planning solutions and problems. This project will provide a background, history, and analysis of the architecture, planning and community effects that are part of these communities that expand and grow at a rapid rate. It will also propose a set of guidelines and considerations that are important to address when planning for a boom.

Photo: Library of Congress

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5511.

CLASSIFICATION It is important to accurately identify a place as a boomtown before it can be analyzed and dissected for understanding and comparison. Boomtowns are marked by their accelerated growth economically, population size and planning, and can clearly been seen and easily identified in most instances.

The classification of a boomtown can be analyzed as a numerical analysis of their population growth. There is much debate among researchers as to the exact percent of population increase that classifies a town as a boomtown. Researcher G.W.Malamud who has studied boomtown growth classifies a boomtown as a 15% annual population increase, while fellow boomtown researcher G. Archibald describes a boomtown as having at least a 6% population increase for three or more consecutive years.1 Many cities and towns can sustain themselves and their infrastructure through

1. Ruddell, “Boomtown Policing,� 329

a 5% population increase.2 Beyond this point, entering the 10%-15% population increase, the boom can begin to create a pronounced strain on the community. It is at this rate of population increase that researchers begin to classify the town as a boomtown.

The classification of boomtowns based strictly on the percent increase is not an exact science nor does it provide a definitive definer. This numbers focused classification seems to differ based on towns one has researched and industries affecting the boom. One must therefore also look at the qualitative aspects in order to define a boomtown.

As stated previously, the percentage rate of increase affects the community to the point where there is a pronounced strain on its resources and its residents.

Community officials are unable to keep up with the rapidly increasing needs of a population and often have little to no experience on how to handle these new problems. Planning quickly lags behind the needs of the community. Typically boomtowns will occur in the communities that are least equipped to handle the growth.3 These strains can most clearly be seen in communities that are located in rural areas. These rural communities tend to be

smaller in initial population making a rapid influx of population much more noticeable and influencing. In contrast, urban or metropolitan cites tend to have larger populations and a larger infrastructural system already in place. This infrastructure can support the increase in population with much less strain on the city than a small rural town.

There is a distinction in metropolitan sprawl and boomtown growth-“the rapid expansion of a new suburb housing young families, for instance, is fundamentally different than population increases associated with resource based development.” The classification of boomtowns must therefore take into account many factors, both social and numerical.

Additional Points of Social effects will be discussed later in this paper.

2. Little, “Social Consequences,” 402 3. Little, “Social Consequences,” 403

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FACTORS IN A BOOM Boomtowns occur when an industry or resource is found in abundance, or can be produced in abundance in a town, region, or city. These resources can span multiple fields including but not limited to: energy production, natural resource mining, and social resources.

The most common of these is the energy boomtown. The western United States is marked by boomtowns that grew around a natural or man made energy resource. These towns continue to appear today in the western and southern states in America, producing oil, coal, uranium, hydroelectric power and other natural sources of energy.

The forces that drive the creation of a boomtown can be internal, but are often more heavily influenced by external forces. “The source of this growth typically stems from external economic pressures seeking to develop some

local resource, social or natural.”4 A town’s rapid development is ushered in by outside investors and industries that have no initial stake in the community other than the resource it offers. This interest and growth of a community can “be seen as both a blessing and a curse”.5 Many towns have faltered with the introduction of a new industry, while many others have succeeded in adapting their community to fit the needs of the growth.

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Forms of transportation also expand into a city during a time of boom. The railroads, highway systems, and water ways are good examples of facilitators of boomtown growth and development.

Many towns boomed along the railroads, ports or highway exits as points of rest or points of trade and commerce. Cities that facilitate a boom are almost always connected to a rail line, highway system, or waterway in some fashion in order to transfer goods and resources.

4. Little, “Social Consequences,” 402 5. Wiebe, “Boom and Bust”

COMMUNIT Y EFFECTS It is important to understand the effects that a boom of a new industry has on a community when conducting analysis of the architecture and planning of boomtowns. Boomtowns often occur in places where small communities had previously existed and thrived. The effects on the existing community often degrade the quality of life for the town’s residents and put a tremendous amount of strain on the local community resources.

In his article on Boomtowns, John S. Gilmore describes four phases that communities of a boomtown experience. First the residents are excited about the potential boom in economic growth and the promise of a future for the town.

This excitement soon turns to uncertainty as the members of the community and those in government positions of power begin to realize the potential strain on the community’s infrastructure and services. A kind of panic then arises when the expenditures seem to outweigh the potential earnings, and it

is truly realized that some of the community services, like the schools, do not have the capacity or the capital to accommodate the new growth. Lastly, the community members and officials develop an attitude that something needs to be done for their community to survive the boom. Planning comes into the equation during this final phase and solutions can begin to be developed. The sooner this phase can be reached and the more information the community leaders have to successfully manage this phase, the better prepared the community will be to handle the boom. “The energy boomtown in western United States is apt to be a bad place to live.

It’s apt to be a bad place to do business.”6

BUSINESS AND THE ECONOMY Perhaps the first thing to cross the minds of those involved with a boomtown is economic growth. The idea of a new industry moving into the community creates excitement among the longtime residents, or the ‘old-timers’. “Residents of boomtowns characteristically [display] a feeling of optimism and hope for the future”7 Residents feel that the boom will provide an increase in economic development and prosperity for all members of the

community. Local businesses work towards expanding their stores and attempt to take advantage of the new surge in population. The boom however, seems to be most difficult for them. With the new industry moving into the town, new jobs are created that offer a higher pay than what store owners can offer. This causes them to either increase their pay rate or cut back on number of employees, both of which begin to put a strain on their business. 55 percent of new industry workers were local residents who had left non-basic jobs resulting in an initial 30 percent decline in non-basic employment.(Merrifeild 25) The influx of population also brings with it new chain stores and franchises that are able to work with a greater efficiency than the local store owners.

Many boomtown community business owners had been used to a slower pace before the boom and are now forced to update and adapt their approach to compete for advertising and merchandising for their store. (Sociological 8) “So in the early stages of rapid growth local businessmen find themselves in a losing battle for workers, and later they may be unable to compete for customers…”8

6. Gilmore, ”Boom Towns May Hinder,” 536-537 7. “The Spell of the West” 8. Merrifeild, “Impact Mitigation,” 25

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Many businesses are forced to close their doors due to the added strain or loss of income from the new competition.

A general lack of communication and understanding occurs within the community as well. First there is the lack of communication between the industry that is moving into the city and city planning officials. John Merrifeild talks about this problem in his article Impact Mitigation in Western Energy Boomtowns “A major problem is the uncertainty that the energy project will actually be built. Lack of communication and cooperation between industry and community leaders has often left the community in the position of either being totally unprepared for growth by having done nothing or being stuck with large unused capital improvements and massive unserviceable debt because the anticipated project was canceled at the last minute.”9 This can cause major strain on local governments, who are first unequipped to manage the influx in population and second unable to determine and mitigate a conversation between the city and the industry.

Another problem is the tax revenue a community is able to receive. The perceived notion is that the tax revenue of a new boomtown should also boom with

the economy. More residents, businesses, homes and jobs should in theory increase the tax base for the city to provide funding for all infrastructural changes that need to occur to support the growing population. The problem with this model is that much funding from taxes is not received until well after the improvements need to be made. This in conjunction with poor governmental funding requires the city to shoulder the load of the new infrastructure until taxes and funding are able to be accessed. “ It is constitutionally mandated that “a new project is not added to the tax base until completion. “10 Many of these smaller cities do not have the required capital to shoulder this bill for long, increasing the strain.

Impact taxes can often be put into place to help with some of the up-front costs. An impact tax is typically placed on new development (ie the new water line hookups for new housing11) These taxes impact new residents and developers the most.

Some states find this targeted taxing to be unconstitutional, however many cities across the country still use this system to pay for improvement projects and developments.

An added economic strain in the community is 9. Merrifeild, “Impact Mitigation,” 26 10. Merrifeild, “Impact Mitigation,” 26 11. Merrifeild, “Impact Mitigation,” 26

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A MAJOR PROBLEM IS THE UNCERTAINT Y THAT THE ENERGY PROJECT WILL ACTUALLY BE BUILT. -JOHN MERRIFEILD

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Lang La nggdo on, Nor orth Dak kot otaa

the increased cost of living that comes with some boomtowns.

In one town, Dickinson, North Dakota, a tremendous growth in the cost of living has been seen, with some landlords charging up to $2,000 dollars for single room apartment rent.12 Very similar situations appear in other boomtowns when the cost of living is increased, primarily for the new workers and their families. In one community studied by Cortese and Jones they stated that rent for teachers tripled within two years. The existing population often finds it hard to live on what had once been a comfortable salary.(Sociological) The boom of a new industry in a town throws the town’s economy out of equilibrium (Growth and Change). While some towns are able to bounce back and cope with the added strain, others often crumble under this new, very heavy burden.

GOVERNMENT Among these first changes to the community is the need for the government to keep up with the new demands of the town. According to Charles F. Cortese and Bernie Jones in their article The Sociological Analysis of Boom Towns, governments

must cope with new issues, both Quantitative and Qualitative. These new quantitative problems can be seen in an example Cortese and Jones site in their article concerning Langdon South Dakota. “the water mains broke over 100 times during the winter of 1971-1972….[these needs are seen as] the [government] being asked to do more of something they were already doing.”13 Rapid growth not only introduces new problems into a community, it makes the problems that had previously existed in the community more apparent. Problems arise that had not been taken care of or addressed in the past and now are brought to the attention of the community. (Growth and Change) Quantitative problems like this one often multiply and are clearly seen by the residents as a degradation of the quality of life in their town. The demands on community resources are often far too great to cope with the needs of the new population. The existing infrastructure is not able to handle the needs of the growing community, and government officials aren’t knowledgeable of solutions to these new problems their community faces. It is easy for residents to point at these instances and demand community leaders to restore the quality of life the ‘old-time’ residents are used 12. Wiebe, “Boom and Bust” 13. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 82 14. Merrifeild, “Impact Mitigation,” 26 Photo: Delcampe.net

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“

A BOOMTOWN CAN BE BOTH A BLESSING AND A CURSE. -JAMIE WIEBE

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to. “[It] can be frustrating for the local and state governments charged with protecting the health, safety, and welfare of their populations.”15 Equally important, but perhaps harder to immediately identify, are issues of the qualitative nature that local governments are asked to address. These problems are typically found at the city management level include zoning, city planning, the ability of officials to seek state funding, development of new taxation to accommodate the growing needs, and development of new housing. The effects extend into the private sector and affect the local economy and business structure, education, hospitals, religious facilities, places of recreation and neighborhoods of the community. In their research, Anderson and Theodori found that community leaders in rural communities where booms had occurred stated that there was increased truck traffic and accidents, gas leaks and explosions, contamination of ground water, air pollution and damage to roads.16 These problems, both qualitative and quantitative, are issues that the local governments are often unequipped to handle. The issues are ones that the government hasn’t had to deal with in the past and now must rapidly respond to.

“Planning lags behind needs” and new problems appear before old problems are solved.

The issue of adequate representation in local government also becomes apparent. Typically those in charge are long-time members of the community -considered ‘old-timers’- and can be wary of change.

New members of the community have little to no form of representation in the local government, and their needs are often overlooked.

PLANNING Related to community leadership, is planning for the future. There are several aspects of community planning that often go ignored. When an industry is planning to move to a community, there is great potential for rapid economic development. This potential is often misused and lies at the root of many of boomtown problems. In her article Boom and Bust, Jamie Wiebe states that the boom of an industry “can be both a blessing and a curse”17 how the town leadership handles this potential is the difference between the two.

15. Gilmore, ”Boom Towns May Hinder,” 535 16.Anderson and Theodori, “Local Leaders” 17. Wiebe, “Boom and Bust”

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When community leaders see the potential economic boom for their community, many become greedy. The agenda focuses on wanting to get the most out of the boom at the forefront and little thought is given to the long term effects and problems that the community will face down the road.

This lack in planning becomes the stumbling block for the community when then industry that spurred the boom moves out of the town, or lessens in its involvement.

With the planning of a boomtown, there is a greater need to reorganize and rezone the town for the change in industry, housing, and recreation.

This becomes a major problem at the bureaucratic level, because of the rigid beliefs and customs that the government members have. As addressed before, those holding government positions during the beginning of a town’s boom are often long time members of the community, and are wary of too much or too rapid change. “Zoning may not be implemented until political control has completely shifted away from the old-timers.”18

SCHOOLS The effects on schools are some of the first and most noticeable changes within the community when a boom in population occurs. Education budgets become strained and teachers must work harder than before to adapt to the growing number of students. “With the large and rapid influx of new students, schools in the communities [are] not physically prepared to accept more students and overcrowding [occurs]”19 Most communities are often unprepared for the number of students that will be arriving due to inadequate information about the families that are expected to move to the town. While some communities are able to gather data for the number of students expected to arrive during the boom, many do not head these projections because they seem to far-fetched.20 In both instances, the schools are under prepared and cannot expand fast enough to handle to growing student body.

In the case of boomtowns, the transient nature of the families also poses a problem for school officials. Many students arrive at irregular times 18. Gilmore, ”Boom Towns May Hinder,” 536 19. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 74 20. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 74 Photo: Archive Prairie Smoke Yearbook

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Stat St atee No at orm mal Sch choo oo ool, ol Dic i ki k ins kins n on Norrth h Dak ko ott a

throughout the school year and many leave before a semester is over. In their studies, Cortese and Jones found that student records were also a point of disruption within the boomtown school systems stating, “One counselor stated that children of the more mobile construction workers would enter the school and leave again before their records arrived from the previous schools.”21 This creates more paperwork for the administrators and superintendents to handle these temporary students. Teachers must give a large portion of their time to integrating the new students into their classroom. They must also work with deficiencies that the students might have from their previous schools and give extra time and effort to them to keep their classes at a high level.

Schools also provide a mixing ground for the ideas of the parents to mix. In many cases the parents request that the education be brought to a higher level than what the schools were offering. These parents, the ‘new-comers’ often come with construction and engineering backgrounds and expected their children to learn things that hadn’t previously been offered in the community.22

In many instances, the growth of an industry in a town can prompt young high school students to drop out of school as well and attempt jobs in the construction industry. This creates workers with little experience taking on these jobs, slowing production and decreasing overall productivity.23

VALUES + INTERACTION PATTERNS When a rapid increase in population occurs, a pronounced social divide appears between the old-timers and the newcomers. There are differing sets of values and beliefs coming from both sides. The old-timers are somewhat set in their ways and feel protective of their community while the newcomers enter the town with new ideas and different social experiences than the old-timers. The roles of both parties changes as they work to adapt to the new community, while still holding onto their values and beliefs. “While old-timers watch their familiar community change in directions over which they may have no control, newcomers attempt to adjust to a community they are in, but not of.”24 Cortese and Jones describe a common process: 21.

22.

23.

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Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 74 Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 75 Gilmore, ”Boom Towns May Hinder,” 536 Little, “Social Consequences,” 414

First the boom brings more people into the community. Second, it is noticed that many of the newcomers are different in their beliefs, values, norms, experiences and lifestyle. Third, more behavior settings and points of social interaction are added to the community. Fourth, organizations adapt as different institutional arrangements are made to meet the needs of the larger and more diverse population. Finally, Each individual person in turn become a smaller part of the larger whole.25 Old-timers are faced with a conflict of their community changing. It is often hard to accept this change and they can feel threatened by the new members of their community. Many existing community roles that the old-timers had filled in the past are either removed, lessened or changed in order to provide for growth. In a survey done by Cortese and Jones, old-timers were asked to describe their community with predefined words. Looking at the results the residents found that their community had become less relaxed, friendly, traditional, isolated, harmonious, and run-down and more expensive, difficult, progressive, and competitive. There can be a sort of expectation of new member of the community to adapt to the culture and the community the old-timers are used to. The social customs change

and conflict with one another. Cortese and Jones offer four reactions that old-timers can have to their changing town; Make the change, Maintain the status-quo, Deny the changes, or Leave the situation.26 Newcomers tend to be more liberal in their beliefs, bringing with them, different experiences and value systems. They also often represent a wider range of ethnicities than what the community population had contained before. It is often hard for them to integrate themselves in the new community and interact with the old-timers. The newcomers, while easily the largest percentage of the population in a boom community, become the left out majority. Old-timers typically hold political positions of power for a while after a boom occur, causing very few changes to be made in the newcomers favor.

Both newcomers and old-timers are affected by the changes that occur in their community.

Neither has an advantage over the other and both are faced with a large set of problems. Both groups feel alienated and look for someone to blame, which is often times one another.

25. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 77 26. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 89-90

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MEDICAL FACILITIES + MENTAL HEALTH A major issue that appears in boomtowns as well is the increased need for medical facilities and appropriately trained medical professionals. This problem booms in two facets: one is a problem of numbers, where there is not an adequate number of professionals to provide assistance to the growing community and the other is the problem of new needs that small community doctors are less equipped to handle.

Many new health related problems arise in boomtowns. Alcoholism, abuse, suicide attempts and mental health problems all see a rise in cases.

Often professionals who have dealt with these problems before are not available in these communities.

An additional problem across all of these communities seems to be attracting and keeping medical personnel.27 The problem of mental health in these communities is often the least addressed issue when discussing boomtowns. For both the new-comers and old-timers of a boom community there is a tremendous amount of stress and strain that comes with all of the changes. Little addresses a particular

instance, explained by Kohrs unpublished paper, in his studies that seems to be a correct observation for many boomtown families: “A housewife, after fighting mud, wind, inadequate water and disposal systems, a crowded mobile home and muddy children all day snaps at her husband as he returns from a 16 hour shift. He responds by heading back downtown and spending the night at a bar drinking and trading stories with men from similar circumstances.”28 This stress and strain only builds in communities that again, are often unequipped to handle these new and growing problems. The women in the community experience extreme boredom due to inadequate recreational facilities and the men are overstressed from working too many hours. Higher divorce rates are also seen across many of the towns as well.

CRIME Crime becomes a large problem to address in the planning phase of boomtowns. Managing the police capacity becomes a difficult task as the population 27. Cortese and Jones, Sociological, 74 28. Little, “Social Consequences,” 408

rises. The ratio of police to people needs to remain in balance as well. With already limited funding in some communities, this becomes an even greater task.

The demographic of new residents to the town are typically a very transient population by nature.

Many are young construction workers, mostly men, who move from town to town seeking employment.

These men have very little personal stake in the communities in which they are working. Their interests in the community are short term and often apathetic. This, therefore, causes higher levels of crime by these men who are not invested in the character of the community.

“Historical Analysis shows that rates of violence in the US resource boomtowns, particularly homicide, were much higher than in other Western towns.”29 Other research points to levels of increased alcoholism resulting in higher drunk driving arrests, vandalism, and abuse cases. This trend not only affects American cities. Throughout his article on policing boomtowns, Ruddell finds that crime increase in boomtown communities around the world.30

29. McKana, “Enclaves of Violence,” 73 30. Ruddell, “Boomtown Policing”

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BUST The problems that have been addressed in this paper thus far all take a toll on a community and can eventually lead to the bust that often follows a boom. Without proper planning, investing and community involvement the risk of a bust is increased.

When a city’s economy depends on a single source of income, as in the cases of Antioch, Nebraska and on a larger scale Detroit, Michigan to name a few examples, it can become the planned downfall of a city. Without proper industrial versification a city will crumble under its own needs and responsibilities.

The programs that are needed during the boom such as hotels, restaurants and big box stores will not be needed once the boom is over. Planning for the post boom is the hardest yet most crucial part of handling boomtowns. These buildings also tend to be very difficult to repurpose.31 “When a boom busts, the people might leave, but all of the strip malls, tract housing and big box stores built during the boom aren’t going anywhere.”32 31. Hightower, “Architecture of Fracking” 32. Thompson, “Boomtowns have a lasting Impact”

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WHEN A BOOM BUSTS, THE PEOPLE MIGHT LEAVE, BUT ALL OF THE STRIP MALLS, TRACT HOUSING AND BIG BOX STORES BUILT DURING THE BOOM AREN’T GOING ANYWHERE. -JOHNATHAN THOMPSON

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CASE STUDY

ANTIOCH NEBRASKA Located in the panhandle of western Nebraska near Alliance lays the remains of Potash Factories. These ruins stand in the location where the city of Antioch, Nebraska once boomed.

During the First World War, Antioch boomed around the industry of Potash- a resource pulled from the alkaline lakes in the Sandhills. This resource, which was primarily imported from Germany before the outbreak of the war, was used for soap and fertilizer in the United States. When foreign imports were halted, Antioch became one of the largest suppliers of potash in the nation. This caused a five year boom in the small town, growing from a small population in 1914 to over 2,000 in 1918.38 Two graduates of the University of Nebraska, Lincoln developed a way to separate the potash and developed a factory along the railroad next to a large lake and the 33. “Antioch: Potash Boomtown�

Photo: Alliance Knight Museum

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Antioch Town Plan

small town of Antioch in 1914. Over the next few years, four more factories were built along the rail that ran parallel to the highway. Down the road in Hoffland and Lakeside, two more potash towns, were developed taking advantage of this natural resource.

What had previously been a region of cattle farming was now booming as a center of industry. Many workers moved to the area finding employment in the construction of the plants and eventually work in the plants. The town began as a ‘man camp’ with tents popping up around the factories. Shops, hotels, pool halls, schools, homes and churches soon appeared in the small town that was quickly laid out in a grid across the highway from the factories. The town also boasted electricity, a luxury at the time, which was produced from one of the plants and provided energy for the entire town.

Potash was often falsely advertised as a component of ammunition. This false advertisement struck a patriotic chord in America, a nation in full production of war resources, and only helped the plants of Antioch to grow.

Top Photo: Alliance Knight Museum Bottom Photo: Alliance Knight Museum

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An A nti t io tioc occh, h, Neb eb bra rassk ra ka

West We ster st eerrn Po Pota Pota t ash h Facto acto ac ory r y Rui uins n , An A nti tioc ioch occh Ne Nebr b asskaa

As the town quickly boomed, optimism in the town surged. Comments appeared in the Antioch newspaper noting “Antioch will be as widely known as New York within a year.”39 and “Even the doubter must acknowledge that Antioch, with its six plants, has a bright future.”40 The newspaper offered a view into the time of the boom and presents it as a typical city in the Midwest, focused on its industry and community members.

the railroad and highway helped it grow and connect into resources from neighboring towns, as well as ship its product to cities like Omaha, where the product could then be distributed across the nation. In the end the town of Antioch was developed around a single industry and this eventually caused its decline. When the industry folded, so did the town.

The end of World War I proved to be the death sentence for the town of Antioch. With the war over, foreign imports were again permitted, and Antioch could not compete with prices. The sentiment of the town was worried yet still hopeful. One community member, Alex Burr, states “I don’t think Germany should be allowed to ship potash to the United States…they want to squeeze Nebraska out of the only mineral she has. We should instruct our representatives in Washington to fight for Nebraska’s rights.”

41 However, plants quickly started closing one after another. Residents picked up their homes and moved to neighboring cities. By the end of 1922, all that was left of Antioch was the ruins of its once flourishing Potash plants.

During its development, Antioch’s placement along 39. Antioch News Jan 3 1918 40. Antioch News January 1918 41. Antioch News March 1922 Photo: Alliance Knight Museum

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CASE STUDY

DICKINSON NORTH DAKOTA Located near the Canadian border of North Dakota is a large oil deposit that is causing one of the largest modern booms of this generation. In 2010, the state produced close to 113 million barrels of oil making North Dakota the fourth largest oil producing state. These 113 million gallons is nearly tripled the amount of oil produced from the pre-boom years.42 The projections continue to have that number increasing over the next 10-30 years. “They are definitely in a period of growing pains right now[…]It’s a boom. It’s a rush. That certainly isn’t pleasant for everybody, but I think most people realize the once they kind of get over this period of furious drilling activity, it’s really going to be a great thing for that part of the state.”

(Gov. Jack Dalyrymple governor)43 With the country still feeling the effects of the recession, parts of North Dakota stand out as a stark contrast to the national normal unemployment rate. In Williams County, located to the north of Dickinson, there are a projected 9 jobs available for 42. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 43. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” Photo: Google Maps

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Dicckk iin Di nso s n, n, No orrth t Dak a ko ot a ot

every resident in need of work. Many are working to save homes in other states, coming to North Dakota to earn money, sometimes working 80-hour weeks.44 Some merchants have started charging high prices for everyday necessities, because they can. The rent for some one bedroom apartments is $2,00045 Housing shortages are a large issue in this western part of the state as well. However there is a dilemma as to what the appropriate solution should be. Build too little and man camps and RV parks will take over the communities. On the other hand, if too many homes are built, the community will be left with significant overstock of housing in the event of a bust.46 What is happening socially in North Dakota during this time directly echoes the fears and ideas seen in the boomtowns of the early 20th Century. The transient nature of the worker and the disinterest in the community by both the industry and the worker is apparent. Also seen is the lack of communication between the industry and the town. “As far as the city of Tioga goes, there hasn’t been a very good open line of communication between the industries. They just bring [workers] in. From what I

gather, they don’t really care where they live or stay.

They just care that they show up to work. They’re not really working with us to try to provide homes.”

(Nathan Germundson Mayor of Tioga)47 The similarities between many North Dakota communities and the traditional boomtown in the area of crime are extreme. With increases in crime police are required to think of new strategies to cope with the growing problems such as drugs and robbery.48 In Dickinson, police reported calls were up nearly 45 percent from 2009 to 2014, when there were more than 27,000.

North Dakota has seen a bust before from the oil industry in 1980. In 1951 there was much talk of a first oil boom in the Williston Basin of North Dakota.49 With many still wary of this, decisions are being made based on what seems right post boom.

Planners are knowledgeable of the mistakes of their past and are preparing for a steady decline in population when the construction phase of the drills is over, and a slower pace of oil pumping ushers itself in. The need to diversify the industry is something that is considered heavily here.

44. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 45. Wiebe, “Boom and Bust” 46. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 47. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 48. Brown, “North Dakota Went Boom” 49. Anderson and Blume, “Oil Exploration and Development” Photo: Bakken Oil Report, 2015

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The infrastructure of the roads is falling apart, causing major strain on the government. Some roads have been closed to oil trucks that are seen as the problem of the situation. Dickinson has identified more than $97 million ( in 2010) in infrastructure related upkeep to maintain the growth.50 There is some investment in the future also occurring in North Dakota. The state has greatly benefited from the boom in the form of increased tax revenue, and state leaders know that it is an opportunity they should be taking. “This is a time of opportunity. It’s a time of growth. And it’s a time of amazing prosperity and wealth coming to our community.”(Brad Bekkkedahl)51 Much of the money that is earned through the oil drilling is gathered by the state government. After the last oil boom in the state, the state government took control of the taxes on the wells and now disperses the money back to the community. Often, however, it is only 10%-20% of the revenue that originated in the community.(Stiener of the Association of Oil and Gas Producing Companies)52 Another town, Williston, located 132 miles from Dickinson, is also seeing a tremendous boom, ‘out-booming’ Dickinson in some years. In 2013

the population rose from 14,000 in 2010 to nearly 26,000, a growth of 12,000 people in 3 years.

However, despite the growth of the industry, North Dakota still has a lower population than it did in 1930.

As the boom comes to an end in the coming years it will be truly seen if the government officials and industry leaders have taken the necessary precautions to survive the bust and continue the management of their state through the after effects.

There are many other case studies for the boomtown: Perth, Australia, Chicago, Illinois, Dubai, UAE, and Shenzhen, China. Each booming for its own reason, these booms are in effect around the world.

50. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 51. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” 52. Holeywell, “North Dakota’s Oil Boom” Photo: NewYorkTimes

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UNDERSTANDING THE BOOMTOWN Many planners, architects, urban designers and government officials have speculated as to how communities should handle and plan for a boom in population and economy. As illustrated previously in this paper, there are many case studies and ample research that demonstrates the trials that are associated with a boom.

Addressing these issues before they become too large to handle may be the first key to planning for a successful boom.

In his article Community Planning in Boom Towns: Why it’s not Working Very Well and How to do it More Effectively, Hans Bleiker describes planning for the boomtown as just another problem in the planning field. He lists boomtown planning among the list of all the other types of planning problems that city planners are faced with. He notes that “The one thing all of these different generic versions of planning have in common, regardless of their labels, is that they all are aimed at solving-preferably preventing-specific problems.”53 He then 53. Bleiker,”Community Planning in Boom Towns,”146

goes on to say that planners need to focus on solving the ‘real’ problems and not the perceived. “Very rapid change, brought on by very rapid growth, tends to stress the people’s various support systems; it creates a great many problems for them, and it has the overall effect of assaulting their quality of life from many different directions simultaneously and continuously.”54 “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” seems to be a thought that fits right in with boomtown planning.55 Planning for the boom makes the difference between a town that survives the boom and a town that busts. Staying ahead of the growing need for infrastructure is vital to maintaining a community that is viable for continued growth. If a town wishes to be successful, it cannot afford to make and error in planning.

The problem however is that each boomtown case is individual with different needs and circumstances. Much like planning of a traditional city, each boomtown requires specific solutions that may be new to the planners and officials. Finding a precedent for the town may provide only partial solutions.

This leaves the town in the hands of the community planner who may have limited experience in

planning for rapid expansion. “Without planning there will be a bust”56

INFORMATION SHARING Information sharing must also be a large part of the town’s development during this time. There is often much confusion between community officials and community members surrounding the rapid transition of the town. The local media should assist by playing a role in actively relaying information and concerns from both sides and both parties should be open to conversation about the transition. The public should actively seek out information in order to be informed on the situation. The more information the public is able to get their hands on, the more engaged they will be in the boom. This may ease the transition for both newcomers and old-timers. Changes must be made in the community during this time- the community will not remain the same.

Representation in the local governments tends to favor the ideals of the old-timers for a large amount of time after a boom is experienced. The connections that the existing residents have in their community 54. Bleiker,”Community Planning in Boom Towns,”147 55. Bleiker,”Community Planning in Boom Towns,”147 56. Wiebe, “Boom and Bust”

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can be considered an opportunity for privileged information-favoring the old-timers ideals over that of the newcomers. Newcomers often work for the new industry that has caused the boom. This gives them a distinct perspective on the industry and their stake in it more than the community. Without adequate communication between the governments, the industry, the old-timers and the newcomers there is often unrest -the old-timers fight to maintain a community while the newcomers fight for their industry and their jobs.

FEDERAL FUNDING The process of redevelopment that occurs in boomtowns costs the members of the community greatly. As stated before, boomtowns often occur in communities that are the least equipped to handle it. 57 These economic strains cause community members to look at solving current problems and dismiss needs of the future. Funding becomes extremely important in these situations. While local government officials are able to ask for state funding, this funding is often requested too late or is dispensed long after the capital is required due to inexperience and confusion. This causes the towns

to carry the economic burden for perhaps longer than they can handle it. Some planners have suggested that the Federal Government needs to step in and provide support to these communities in the form of loans58. Planning ahead of the boom and acquiring funding may be the single most important component to a successful boom.

From an outside perspective, the major problem with boomtown planning can be considered short sightedness by planners and government officials in this realm. The focus centers on short term planning with immediate economic gain a priority. Effectiveness in the prevention of negative boomtown effects as discussed in this paper need to focus on planning for the future of the town and investing in the infrastructures. This can be difficult when dealing with a rapid growth and planning for uncertain futures. The investment would help to create a solid foundation for the town to grow, apart from the industry. While the industry brings in the initial economic boom, the town must look past this and focus on how it will sustain itself outside of this industry.

57. Little, “Social Consequences” 58. Cortese and Jones, “Sociological”

DEVELOPMENT The formation of the new infrastructure in boomtowns – including roads, homes and entertainment centers - often takes on a developer’s identity. Rapid growth requires quick solutions that have often not been given much thought as to the ramifications in the specific community. For instance, sprawl of the grid is often used as a top down approach to solving the spatial needs of the new residents. Homes are constructed quickly and are placed on tight lots next to one another near the industry factory or work site.

Top down solutions are often the result of quick eveloper planning. While they offer a more time effective solution, they come with many consequences. These practices tend to dominate the field of planning where clear and precise project time lines take priority over the gradual shifts of bottom up planning. A major problem with top down planning that is prevalent in boomtown communities is again the lack of community involvement and communication. This form of planning takes the citizen out of the plan and ostracizes them. Paul Stabier discusses the factors surrounding top down planning:

“the fundamental flaw in top down models, is that they start from the perspective of (central) decisions makers and thus tend to neglect other factors. A second, and related, criticism of top down models is that they are difficult to use in situations where there is no dominant policy (statue) or agency, but rather a multitude of governmental directives and factors, none of them preeminent. A third criticism of top down models is that they are likely to ignore, or at least underestimate the strategies used by street level bureaucrats and target groups to get around policy and/ or to divert it to their own purposes.”59

ARCHITECTURE The traditional architecture of boomtowns that comes to mind is often reminiscent of the old west boomtowns of the 19th and 20th centuries. While some of the canvas tent towns, man camps60 and saloon centered main streets are somewhat a thing of the past, many of the elements remain in today’s boomtowns.

In the haste to create accommodations for the waves of workers that move to the community, tracks of similar ‘vanilla’ homes are rapidly constructed.

59. Pissourios, “Top-down and Bottom-Up” 60. Hightower, “Architecture of Fracking”

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“

THE ARCHITECTURE OF A PLACE CHANGES SO RAPIDLY THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ONCE CALLED IT HOME CAN NO LONGER RECOGNIZE IT.

”

This rapid construction also causes the quality of the homes to be compromised. The rapid developer construction may also cause disjointed neighborhoods within the community, with dissimilar styles and amenities. The existing neighborhoods in the community maintain a distinct style from that of the new developments.

This extends beyond the neighborhoods and into the commercial and business districts. The architecture of the existing structures in many boomtown case studies are either updated or left to ruin as new districts appear and bring in new businesses.

In some instances the town has had a solid foundation on which new businesses could build on and around the existing downtowns and commercial cores. This offers a better solution for the community, however, it rarely occurs. The architecture of a place changes so rapidly that the people that once called it home (the old-timers) can no longer recognize it.

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CONCLUSION There are many factors to investigate when determining the effects of boomtowns on communities. Large problems erupt and planners, citizens and community leaders are faced with challenges they have never seen before. The problems arise from little information, lack of communication, lack of investment, a rigid hold to the past and wavering acceptance of change. This paper has investigated all of these factors and more, but now what?

Boomtowns are a large and difficult problem to address. Town planning in and of itself is a very difficult problem to address. Each instance is different and must be handled as a new problem. While some precedents can be taken from existing communities, these precedents can only be followed so far until they become strictly top down solutions that may not fit the community. Through this research there are four core concepts that appear that must be addressed during the transition of a boomtown: Communication, Community Involvement, Investing in the Future,

and Multidisciplinary collaboration. All of these factors interact with one another and connect to form a base on which a community can grow.

COMMUNICATION In any transition, active communication must play a role in the process. In the case of boomtowns there are many different levels of communication that appear: Communication between community and industry, communication between community leaders and citizens, communication between old-timers and newcomers, communication between citizens and the media, and communication between local governments and state and federal governments. All of these connections play a very specific and important role in the planning of a boomtown to ensure a transition that will prove successful in the end.

There is a large opportunity for misunderstanding, uncertainty and confusion during the rapid transition and expansion of a community classified as a boomtown. Mitigating these factors through open communication is the first step towards a successful boom. Interest must be present in all groups to communicate and share information though public discussions, media coverage, and meetings.

The more transparent each party is able to be about their concerns and wishes, the better prepared the town will be for the boom.

Communication also allows for early detection of problems and needs. Large infrastructural expansions that are required during a boom costs money, often money the community is unable to adequately supply. If more information is provided upfront, community leaders are better equipped to ask state and federal officials for funding or loans during the time of transition. Communication channels must be clear and open for requests of this sort within the government. The benefit of the boom in economy and population and the possibility of bust will not only affect the community, but could also affect the state and nation as a whole. Therefore the state and federal governments must actively participate in assisting the transition.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Building off of communication is the idea of greater community involvement in the planning phases of the expansion. As stated previously in this paper, greater implementation of bottom up solutions may be a key to successful growth. This causes an investment in the community by the members.

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When their input in being heard and considered, the citizens may take greater pride in the community and its future. Involvement of the new citizens may be the most crucial. The demographic of new residents during a time of rapid growth come from a diverse set of cultures and ethnicities. It is easy for these newcomers to feel left out of the process and ostracized. Encouraging their participation in determining the future of the community could entice them to take a greater interest and stake in the community, building ties to the community that go beyond its industry.

boom. While the cost of infrastructural improvement and expansions may be more than the community feels it can handle, considerations must be made by the state and federal governments to invest in their towns and cities. Diversification of community assets and business and commercial ventures can strengthen the value of the community. This consideration will allow the community to use the boom as an opportunity to grow and expand alongside the industry instead of depending on it.

This offers the opportunity for the community to continue to thrive in the event of a bust in industry.

Bringing all the members of the community together to share ideas and cultures could produce a community that gains diversity and identity through the transition.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY COLLABORATION

INVESTING IN THE FUTURE The downfall of the boomtown is often attributed to the lack of foresight and investment in the future by planning and government officials. It is easy for many to get excited about the immediate economic gain or worry about the infrastructural costs and forget to look past the fiscal year to the future of the community. However, the investment in the future is essential to carrying the community through the

“Alone…[is there really anyone] that really thinks they can do this alone? Build cities alone? I don’t think so [and] I hope not.” (Edward Soja] When developing at the community scale, the team must be cross disciplinary. There is no one group with enough expertise to create a solution the problems that boomtowns are faced with. The architect must look beyond their project to how it creates social spaces within this new community between the old residents and the new residents, thinking on a large community scale. The planner must understand the needs of the people on the street and develop solutions that are specific to the community, not

imposing solutions to problems that don’t exist.

Governments must understand the needs of the people and relay this information to the planners and architects. Social services must be implemented to understand the needs of the new residents, knowing a town cannot survive with distinction of class. Economists must project for the future.

Schools and other community services should prepare for the increased cultural diversity of their students and work with other disciplines to create spaces where these new community members will feel welcome. The solutions must come from the people and be for the people. Especially in instances of this sort (boomtowns), no one agenda can be pushed. The solutions developed must come from all parties involved. The problem of a boomtown is truly one that addresses all professions

With all of these considerations in mind, a community may have a better chance at sustaining beyond the boom. There is by no means a single solution to the problem of a boomtown. The only solution should be a set of considerations and pre-boom planning that exists. Communities should then take it into their own hands and develop a solution to this challenge.

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Anderson, B. J. and G. L. Theodori (2009). "Local Leaders' Perceptions of Energy Development in the Barnett Shale." Southern Rural Sociology 24(1): 113-129.

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